RIM Retreat and American Idol Blues

Yes, I know it's been almost 2 weeks since the American Idol finale, but I just now have had the chance to sit down and blog about my "heartbreak" over Adam Lambert not winning the title. I watch American Idol every year because it's fun and mindless reality TV, and I love music, so what's not to love? But this was the first year that I was in awe of a contestant on the show. I'm a musical theater nerd, so from the moment I saw his audition I was hooked! He blew everyone else out of the water when he performed, and he wasn't even in the same league as the others. But of course, with the help of every teenage girl in America, Kris Allen ended up with the title in the end. Luckily, everyone knows that the "runner-up" usually gets the better deal, and as one music blogger pointed out, at least Adam will not have to have that horrible song from the show as his first single on his record. So here's to Adam- who will always be MY American Idol! :)

Ok, enough of that! This past week I went to Hartford City on one of my residence in ministry retreats or RIM as we call the program. We are required to go on these a few times a year to fulfill one of many things required of us during our 3 year residency period. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed a few things in particular, such as getting to know my fellow RIM friends better, and getting to see the Bishop preach a few times and be among us as a more "normal" person. The people in my year (called Track 2) got packets with ordination paperwork to start filling out. This is a new process since Indiana is now one annual conference- so they are giving us some of the paperwork to fill out during our 2nd year. So now I know what I'll be doing this summer :) I'm not as overwhelmed with this packet as I was when I got my commissioning packet, so that's hopeful. I know in the long run it might even make this 3 year tedious process seem shorter and easier.

Another thing that still gets me is some of the people that decide to go to seminary and into ministry. There will always be those people with the "victim" complex- those who make everything about them, those that complain about everything, and those that are overly negative. And there are people who think too highly of themselves or think they are too good to be a part of the RIM process because "they already have too much experience." And there are always those who have countless issues who have turned to the minstry thinking that it will resolve those problems. And of course there are those who have the "messiah complex," who think they need to be everything to everyone at all times and spread themselves too thin and do not take care of themselves and therefore fail to take care of others. Then there are those who are just plain crazy. What draws these people into ministry? Do they want people to pay more attention to them? Do they think that ministry will automatically fix all of their problems? I know this will forever be an issue in the church. There will always be "toxic people" that will try to drag others down with them and will use every excuse in the book. I guess my job as a pastor is to identify these people and try to help them in the best way I can, but also to keep a healthy distance. So often I think that these kinds of people are too centered on themselves and not enough on what God is calling them to do. God calls us to minister to and love others, but God also calls us as pastors to live our lives in a healthy way, to make time for ourselves, to spend time with our loved ones, and to balance out the way we live. Funny how our retreat was centered around these issues, and yet there are people in the RIM program that have all of the issues I mentioned before. I suppose it's a good reminder for all of us.

Is it really almost June already?